Tyrann Mathieu will have to find a new home for his playing career after being dismissed by LSU.

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"He's permanently ineligible to play football at LSU," Bahnsen said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon. "That's definite. That's what was said Friday."

LSU football coach Les Miles said that Friday when he announced the dismissal of Mathieu, a junior from New Orleans who was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season. A person with knowledge told USA TODAY Sports the dismissal was for repeated positive drug tests revealing marijuana over the last year. Miles and other LSU officials cannot say the exact reason Mathieu was kicked off the team because of student-athlete privacy laws.

Asked Friday if the expulsion from the team was permanent, Miles said, "Yeah, he will not be back. Things are spelled out that we can do. I can only tell you that we extended ourselves personally and professionally. We've extended this to the full length of the policy."

LSU's substance abuse policy contains the words Bahnsen used, "permanently ineligible," on page nine under "third violation" of a drug test. It says, "If institutional drug testing reveals the existence of drugs at any time, permanent ineligibility to participate at LSU will result."

Mathieu, a cornerback and kick returner who was the winner of the Bednarik Award that goes to the nation's No. 1 defensive player, was suspended for one game last season after a second positive drug test.

LSU athletics director Joe Alleva was also not available Monday, but he was absolute in the terms of Mathieu's status on the team Friday.

"The policy is a written policy," Alleva said. "Being an athlete is a privilege. And you have to follow the rules to take advantage of that privilege. Unfortunately, he doesn't have that privilege here anymore. I don't like it when an opportunity is taken away. And right now at LSU, his opportunity is taken away for good."

An ESPN story Monday said Mathieu "has expressed interest in sitting out this season, enrolling in classes and hoping for a return to the program in 2013 if it can be worked out with the school, according to sources."

Mathieu is free to enroll in classes in the upcoming semester at LSU. He was not kicked out of school, Bahnsen said.

"He would have to pay his own way, but he can go to class here and graduate," Bahnsen said.

As far as Mathieu thinking he can possibly return to the football team in 2013, Bahnsen said, "He's not accurate if he thinks that."

The ESPN story also said "the possibility of reinstatement would have to be approved at many levels, including university administration as well as coach Les Miles, and is being discussed."

LSU associate athletics director Herb Vincent, who is also LSU's associate vice chancellor, had not heard of such discussions going on as of late Monday afternoon.

"I'm not aware of any," he said.

But Vincent was vague when asked if Mathieu did have some chance of returning to the LSU football team in 2013.

"We're not speculating on that today," he said.

Mathieu has been described as very upset in recent days as he has tried find a lower division school to which to transfer. He visited McNeese State in Lake Charles on Friday. Officials at Jackson State in Jackson, Miss., said Monday that Mathieu was planning a visit there.